Friendships Formed
Lifelong Friends and Relationships
- Testimonial from CEO Amy Lavin
- Amy’s friends group (family camping Memorial day; and Girls annual hiking trip); share pictures and story of how Amy came to preschool and is now CEO – and her friendships along the way – meeting Liz in school, welcoming Liz to Seattle and Liz serving as President.
- Amy Lavin to interview on podcast
Friends from Preschool
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Emily and Aaron Alhadeff with their kids Max and Charlie.
From Preschool to “I Do”
Did Emily and Aaron Alhadeff’s parents realize they were matchmaking when they decided to send their kids to the SJCC Early Childhood School? Probably not, says Aaron with a laugh—it just turned out to be an added bonus.
The couple became good friends in preschool (“we’re standing next to each other in every one of our class pictures,” Emily says) and stayed connected over the years. In fourth grade, Emily wrote Aaron that classic elementary school note of romantic angst: “Do you like me? Check yes or no.” The rest, as they say, is SJCC history.
When Aaron returned to Seattle after college, the J was the first place he volunteered. It was a natural step, given how connected both he and Emily had been over the years. They both went to J Camp, Aaron participated in the JCC Maccabi Games (a Jewish Olympics-style competition), and he later went on to serve as the J’s board president, from 2012-14. When they had kids, they knew they’d send them to preschool at the J. “There wasn’t even a thought to go anywhere else,” Emily says.
Several of their preschool friends had kids in ECS around the same time, and Emily and Aaron watched as their kids began forming the same types of lasting friendships they had. Plus, their parents would come to events alongside the same friends they used to see when Emily and Aaron’s generation was in preschool, but now they were attending as grandparents. “It really came full circle for all of us,” Aaron says.
As their kids have gotten older—Max is 13 and Charlie is 11—the J isn’t as integrated into their daily lives as it once was, but it’s an organization they’re still dedicated to supporting. “We realized that if neither of us ever stepped foot in here again—never went to another carnival or film festival or had another kid in any program—it was still an important place to support, because it remains a backbone for community and continuity for everyone,” Aaron says.
This community has helped shaped so much of their lives, and they want those strong connections to be available to everyone – whether they’re Jewish or not, whether they have generations of Seattle roots or just moved here last week. “Knowing there’s a place with a low barrier point of entry that’s accepting of everyone, where finances don’t need to be a barrier, and that’s welcoming from both a Jewish perspective and a human perspective is extremely important to us,” Aaron says.
As their kids grow up, Emily and Aaron are confident the boys will stay connected to the J. It’s so woven into the fabric of their family, they don’t feel the need to tell their kids the importance of the organization. Rather, they show them through their active involvement. “They just know. It’s organic.” Emily says. “As long as they can remember, the J has been in their lives.”
The J has had an invaluable impact on their lives, and they know it’s been the same for countless families over the years. “We’re not a unique story,” Aaron says. “But we are representative of a lot of the good the J does—both that we’ve been able to give and to receive. For us, for our parents, and for our kids.”
Friends from Camp
- Camp as a vehicle for making friends and integral to the J’s mission through the years: video montage and story-telling through pictures.
- Video/Videocast
- Three minute “video” with photos and camper testimonies
- Interview 3 to 5 current campers “Why do you love camp?”
- Identify and interview 3 to 5 alums of campers “Why did you love camp, what did it mean to you?”
- Sara to work with J Camp staff to get current campers and 1 or 2 staff to interview
- Dana to get three to five alums (various ages, some 20-30 year alums) to get on camera
The Rockfeld Family
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Rockfeld family photo at the J c2019
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Rockfeld sons in the J Gymnasium c2019
Our Lives Wouldn’t Be the Same Without the J
The J has been an important part of our boys’ lives since the day we moved to Mercer Island (when our oldest was 1 year old, 10 years ago). They both attended ECS where they got their introduction to the J and Judaism and they met some of their best friends whose friendships continue today. From there, they participated in Dinky Dunkers, numerous summer camps, and J Explorers where dads and kids alike had a ton of fun at overnight camp. Finally, our entire family has participated in a number of J events including comedy shows, movies, and guest speakers. Our experience on Mercer Island and Seattle wouldn’t be the same without the friends and community we have gained through the J. They will last a lifetime!
- Cindy & Scott Rockfeld
Returning to the J
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Karen Treiger at the J in 2019
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Karen Treiger speaking at the J in 2019
Welcoming a New Author Home
When first-time author Karen Treiger was ready to share her new book with the world, she knew the Stroum Jewish Community Center would be a meaningful venue. Karen has been connected to the J for 50 years -- since she was a kid on the swim team -- so it was exciting to return to the J as an adult, with her published book in hand.
“It felt like a homecoming, bringing my adult talents to this space,” Karen said. “This was the place where I grew up and was now being welcomed back as a new author. It was lovely.”
Karen’s book, “My Soul is Filled with Joy: A Holocaust Story,” chronicles her in-laws’ journey from their chance meeting in the forest outside the Treblinka Death Camp to their escape to America (read more about Karen’s book here). In the spring of 2019, on the eve of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), she shared excerpts from the book with an intimate and thoughtful audience as part of the J’s Arts + Ideas season of author talks.
Karen wanted to share this Holocaust story with the J community because she believes it’s important to remind people of the stark contrast between our comfortable lives and the horrors people endured during the Holocaust. She hopes it encourages people to realize how lucky they are. Sharing these ideas at the J, in particular, was powerful for her because “it was on Mercer Island and at the JCC that I got my start as a person, and one of the messages of my book is that we should not take what we have in life for granted.”
The SJCC’s Arts + Ideas program brings a variety of artists to the stage – from world-renowned musicians and chefs to local stars – and Karen is grateful for the encouragement of local artists. “It makes our community one of support and help to our local talent,” she says. “It is very important for our local community to know what our own people are up to and what talents and fascinating projects we are all working on.”
Keep your eyes on our community to see what exciting new things are coming next!
